Importance of nasal lesions in early lepromatous leprosy

There are some 20 million people in the world with leprosy. In the lepromatous form of the illness the nose becomes infected very early in the disease process. The nasal discharge which occurs is heavily bacillated and is the most potent source of exit of Mycobacterium leprae from the body. The necessity for early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in the absence of an effective vaccine is discussed and the pathological changes that occur in the nose are outlined. The roles which the leprologist and the rhinologist are able to play are mentioned.